Compositions containing carbon black and graphenes additives, related electrodes and related batteries

Abstract

An electrode includes an electrode composition having graphenes; carbon black particles having a Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area greater than 90 m 2 /g, and an oil adsorption number (OAN) greater than 150 mL/100 g, wherein the ratio of the carbon black particles to the graphenes ranges from 3:1 to 6:1 by weight; and an electroactive material selected from the group consisting of lithium nickel cobalt manganese oxide and lithium nickel cobalt aluminum oxide, wherein the total concentration of the graphenes and the carbon black particles is equal to or less than 2 wt % of the electrode composition; and a current collector contacting the electrode composition.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An electrode, comprising:
 an electrode composition comprising
 graphenes; 
 carbon black particles having a Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area greater than 90 m 2 /g, and an oil adsorption number (OAN) greater than 150 mL/100 g, wherein the ratio of the carbon black particles to the graphenes ranges from 3:1 to 6:1 by weight; and 
 an electroactive material selected from the group consisting of lithium nickel cobalt manganese oxide and lithium nickel cobalt aluminum oxide, 
   wherein the total concentration of the graphenes and the carbon black particles is equal to or less than 2 wt % of the electrode composition; and   a current collector contacting the electrode composition.   
     
     
         2 . The electrode of  claim 1 , wherein the total concentration of the graphenes and the carbon black particles ranges from 0.1 to 2 wt % of the electrode composition. 
     
     
         3 . The electrode of  claim 1 , wherein the ratio of the carbon black particles to the graphenes ranges from 3.5:1 to 4.5:1 by weight. 
     
     
         4 . The electrode of  claim 1 , comprising from 95 to 99 wt % of the electroactive material. 
     
     
         5 . The electrode of  claim 1 , the electroactive material comprises lithium nickel cobalt manganese oxide. 
     
     
         6 . The electrode of  claim 1 , wherein the carbon black particles have a BET surface area less than 400 m 2 /g. 
     
     
         7 . The electrode of  claim 1 , wherein the carbon black particles have an OAN less than 250 mL/100 g. 
     
     
         8 . The electrode of  claim 1 , wherein the carbon black particles have a surface energy less than 5 mJ/m 2 . 
     
     
         9 . The electrode of  claim 1 , wherein the carbon black particles have an L a  crystallite size, as determined by Raman spectroscopy, ranging from 50 Å to 100 Å. 
     
     
         10 . The electrode of  claim 1 , wherein the carbon black particles have an L c  crystallite size, as determined by X-ray diffraction, ranging from 50 Å to 100 Å. 
     
     
         11 . The electrode of  claim 1 , wherein the carbon black particles have a % crystallinity ((I G /(I G +I D ))×100%), as determined by Raman spectroscopy, ranging from 35% to 70%. 
     
     
         12 . The electrode of  claim 1 , wherein the carbon black particles have an aggregate size distribution, as indicated by D 50  values of particle size distributions, ranging from 20 to 400 nm. 
     
     
         13 . The electrode of  claim 1 , wherein the carbon black particles have one, two, three, four, five, six, or seven of the following properties, in any combination:
 (a) a surface energy less than 5 mJ/m 2 ;   (b) an L a  crystallite size, as determined by Raman spectroscopy, greater than 50 Å;   (c) an L c  crystallite size, as determined by X-ray diffraction, greater than 50 Å;   (d) % crystallinity ((I G /(I G +I D ))×100%), as determined by Raman spectroscopy, greater than 35%;   (e) an STSA greater than 50 m 2 /g;   (f) an aggregate size distribution, as indicated by D 50  values of particle size distributions, greater than 20 nm; and/or   (g) an oxygen content from 0 to 0.1 wt %.   
     
     
         14 . The electrode of  claim 1 , wherein the carbon black particles have one, two, three, four, five, or six of the following properties, in any combination:
 (a) an L a  crystallite size, as determined by Raman spectroscopy, less than 100 Å;   (b) an L c  crystallite size, as determined by X-ray diffraction, less than 100 Å;   (c) % crystallinity ((I G /(I G +I D ))×100%), as determined by Raman spectroscopy, less than 70%;   (d) an STSA less than 250 m 2 /g;   (e) an aggregate size distribution, as indicated by D 50  values of particle size distributions, less than 400 nm; and/or   (f) an oxygen content from 0 to 0.1 wt %.   
     
     
         15 . The electrode of  claim 1 , wherein the carbon black particles have one, two, three, four, five, or six of the following properties, in any combination:
 (a) an L a  crystallite size, as determined by Raman spectroscopy, ranging from 50 Å to 100 Å;   (b) an L c  crystallite size, as determined by X-ray diffraction, ranging from 50 Å to 100 Å;   (c) a % crystallinity ((I G /(I G +I D ))×100%), as determined by Raman spectroscopy, ranging from 35% to 70%;   (d) an STSA ranging from 50 to 250 m 2 /g;   (e) an aggregate size distribution, as indicated by D 50  values of particle size distributions, ranging from 20 to 400 rim; and/or   (f) oxygen content from 0 to 0.1 wt %.   
     
     
         16 . The electrode of  claim 1 , wherein the graphenes have one or both of the following properties:
 (a) a BET surface area greater than 100 m 2 /g; and/or   (b) less than or equal to about 20 graphitic layers.   
     
     
         17 . The electrode of  claim 1 , wherein the graphenes have one or both of the following properties:
 (a) a BET surface area less than 500 m 2 /g; and/or   (b) more than or equal to about 5-graphitic layers.   
     
     
         18 . The electrode of  claim 1 , wherein the graphenes have one or both of the following properties:
 (a) a BET surface area ranging from 100 to 500 m 2 /g; and/or   (b) from about 20 to about 5 graphitic layers.   
     
     
         19 . A battery comprising an electrode of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         20 . A composition, comprising:
 graphenes;   carbon black particles having a Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area greater than 90 m 2 /g, and an oil adsorption number (OAN) greater than 150 mL/100 g, wherein the ratio of the carbon black particles to the graphenes ranges from 3:1 to 6:1 by weight; and   a liquid medium.   
     
     
         21 - 40 . (canceled)